Poulter leads English wipeout

CASARES, Spain: All five English golfers including titleholder Ian Poulter were eliminated at the World Match Play Championship here yesterday.
Poulter had gone eight games unbeaten in the prestigious tournament but found Spain’s Alvaro Quiros in imperious form, going down 4 and 3, while compatriot and second seed Justin Rose having humbled Open winner Darren Clarke on Friday was hammered 4and 3 by Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts.
Poulter refused to blame his defeat on having had his foot run over by a golf buggy earlier in the week.
“I don’t need excuses,” said Poulter.
“I had plenty of chances and didn’t take them — simple. I just didn’t play good enough.”
Scotland’s rejuvenated 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie, who looks set for a return to the European Ryder Cup team this year after a 13 year hiatus, strolled to an impressive 5 and 4 thrashing of veteran Dane Thomas Bjorn.
He will play South African star Retief Goosen — who beat England’s Robert Rock — for a place in the semifinals.
Garcia, who has like Lawrie shown a return to a semblance of the form that had him up at the top of the world elite until suffering a slide in form three years ago, beat promising English youngster Tom Lewis, winner of his maiden EPGA title in only his third tournament last year’s Portugal Masters, 4 and 3.
Bi-O on track for back-to-back victories. In Jeju, South Korea,home favorite Kim Bi-O stayed on course for back-to-back OneAsia titles by shooting a five-under-par 67 yesterday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the SK Telecom Open.
But Bi-O’s 13-under-par total 203 around the tricky Pinx Golf Club track on the South Korean honeymoon island of Jeju was overshadowed by a blistering course-record 63 from compatriot Hur In-Hoi and a 66 by a teen amateur.
Kim Si-Woo, 16, shared second place with fellow South Koreans Hur and Joo Heung-Choi going into the final round.
Joint overnight leader Park Sang-Hyun was a stroke further back after shooting a 70, while Indonesia’s Rory Hie — who also had a share of the lead at the start of the day — shot a level 72 to remain at eight under.
Bi-O, a two-time winner on OneAsia after victories in the Nanshan China Masters last year and again last week at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Seoul, is currently in second place on the tour’s Order of Merit.
He took a grip on the tournament at the par-five ninth when he put his second shot to within six feet and converted for the only eagle there of the day, OneAsia said in a press release.
“I was in that position once,” laughed Bi-O when asked what advice he would have for the youngster Kim heading into the final round.
“He mustn’t get carried away,” said Bi-O. “It is a great learning opportunity for him, but I am sure he will do very well.”
Kim Si-woo, clearly nervous in front of the Korean TV cameras after his round, nevertheless talked a brave game.
“I want to be a professional one day, so it is better to learn sooner than later,” he said.
The round of the day belonged to Hur In-Hoi, who bettered the course record 64 set last year by a stroke. He started his round with four birdies and an eagle in the first five holes to make the turn in 30, before a more modest 33 on the back nine.
K.J. Choi, with eight PGA tour wins arguably the best player Asia has produced, is 10 shots off the pace after going three under on Saturday.
Leading scores:
203 - Kim Bi-O (KOR) 68-68-67
205 - Hur In-Hoi (KOR) 71-71-63, Joo Heung-Chol (KOR) 72-68-65, Kim Si-Woo (KOR) 69-70-66
206 - Park Sang-Hyun (KOR) 71-65-70
208 - Rory Hie (INA) 70-66-72
210 - Lee Sang-Hee (KOR) 72-71-67, Park Jun-Won (KOR) 70-70-70, Mark Brown (NZL) 72-66-72
211 - Kim Gi-Whan (KOR) 72-72-67, Simon Yates (SCO) 71-70-70, Ashley Hall (AUS) 71-70-70, Kim Meen-Whee (KOR) 73-68-70, Mo Joong-Kyung (KOR) 72-67-72